GENEVA QUARTERLY A FRESH LOOK AT THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
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BEHIND THE COVER.. LITERALLY. “La Blanca,” Geneva’s first full-sized bus, stars in the first issue of the Geneva Quarterly’s fourth volume. Exeuctive editors Arianna Flores and Skylar Tippetts composed the cover shot to represent the clean slate of a new school year and symbolize the opportunity for change. During the summer, they went on location to capture the bold simplicity of the bus prior to its wrapping with the Geneva Eagle logo. Thank you, Coach Brock, for driving La Blanca to accomodate the cover photoshoot.
COVER PHOTO BY ARIANNA FLORES
MISSION STATEMENT
The Geneva Quarterly, a student-led publication of Rhetoric School, serves to provide Geneva and surrounding communities with relevant and accurate news, opinions and entertainment centered around our student culture. Our staff strives to instill boldness, creativity, and excellence in each reader through our published work. We aim to discover the truth laced into our community with integrity and to write all pieces from a Biblical worldview to the glory of Jesus Christ.
SUBSCRIBE!
To buy a subscription, contact: rryden@genevaschooltx.org To advertise, contact: TheGenevaQuarterly@gmail. com For other inquiries, contact: rryden@genevaschooltx.org This is a publication for: Geneva School of Boerne 113 Cascade Caverns Road Boerne, TX 78006
SCHOOL INFO.
The Geneva School of Boerne exists to provide a classical education from a Biblical worldview, to equip students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership to the glory of Jesus Christ. Rhetoric student population: 212 Rhetoric faculty population: 32 Staff credits and colophon on back cover.
EDITORS’ NOTE DEAR READER,
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: SKYLAR TIPPETTS, ARIANNA FLORES, JESSICA WHEELER
After receiving a Gold Medal critique for the past two years, the Geneva Quarterly publication is proud to be a Crown Finalist with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the 2015-2016 school year. The Crown Award is the highest honor that CSPA awards.
Consider this: astronauts are the epitome of the oxymoron “retro-modern.” The classic identity of an astronaut combined with NASA’s utilization of new age technology casts the same bold and modern vision we presented to the Geneva Quarterly staff before the start of the school year in order to produce a cutting-edge publication for our 4th Volume. With this mission in mind, the staff has filled Issue 1 with content and design that revolves around widespread change and controversy, which is exhibited in Geneva’s culture and takes place across the nation. We also chose to incorporate hands and feet as a predominant theme in this issue, because they are the ministers of the cultural change we are experiencing during this modern time. With the integrity of an astronaut, our talented staff has created an issue that precisely demonstrates the diverse content and aesthetic re-design of the Geneva Quarterly. With love and respect, Skylar Tippetts, with Arianna Flores and Jessica Wheeler
CONT ENTS
CAMPUS CULTURE 10. I’M THE BOSS / FEATURE Three students use their passions to develop small businesses.
THE SCORE
BIG PICTURE
OUT OF THE BOX
Coach Eric Boerboom dicusses his experiences before Geneva and his rise to athletic director.
As the city grows and the culture changes, Boerne churches learn to adapt.
Geneva’s student movie critic, writes about the controversial movie issue, “style-over-substance.”
36. TAKE A KNEE OR TAKE A STAND? / OPINION
54. NO ONE KNOWS WHERE NOAH GOES / FEATURE
24. HERE COMES THE BOOM / 48. THE GROWING CHURCH FEATURE ADJUSTS
Rhetoric School weighs in on NFL protests.
Former student and GQ staffer Noah Benson and his family give everything to travel for a year.
62. STYLE AND SUBSTANCE / OPINION
65. HALLOWEEN / OPINION
Is it a trick or a treat? Christianity and Halloween are not mutually exclusive.
69. THE PINKINGTON PRESS / SHORT STORY
Guest contributor writes the first installment of a continuous short story.
CAMPUS CULTURE
PHOTOS BY IAN COMUZZIE
DANCE LEEDER
BY CHARLOTTE WALKER
SENIOR BROOKE LEEDER ORGANIZES GENEVA’S 2016 HOMECOMING DANCE.
BEFORE THE DANCE
WALKER: Outside of planning the Geneva dances, you
help plan weddings, correct? LEEDER: Yes, kind of, we own the building in Comfort (where the homecoming dance will take place) so I will help out with weddings there.
WALKER: How long have you been interested in
wedding planning, along with other events and how did you become interested in it? LEEDER: I would not classify myself as a wedding or event planner, but I became interested in it when I was in my cousin’s wedding, when I met Mrs. Mary, who is a lady I help decorate weddings with now. That’s really when I fell in love with it all and began to get all of the wedding magazines.
WALKER: In the absence of Mrs. Mimi Stricker, a
former Spanish teacher and Geneva dance planner, how did you become the new dance coordinator for Geneva? LEEDER: Since Mrs. Stricker left, I knew she did all of the dances, so I emailed Mr. Shelton to let him know I was available for help and he replied with, “ Yeah, just do everything!”
WALKER: How long have you been planning the
homecoming dance? LEEDER: On and off, I have been thinking about it all summer. When I started, they already had the venue and band, so I am mostly in charge of the decorations and finishing touches.
WALKER: Who all have you had to contact about the
homecoming dance? LEEDER: I mainly just met with Mr. Shelton and Mrs. Jacobson. I also talked to the Comfort County commissioner about doing some fun things, but it fell through and doesn’t look like it will work out.
WALKER: Do you have any help planning the dances
from anyone? LEEDER: Well, they already had most of the big things planned like the band and the venue. But I have a few friends that are going to help me set up and decorate. 8 CAMPUS CULTURE
WALKER: As far as themes for the other dances go, like winter formal and prom, do you have free reign over that? LEEDER: It’s a process where I come up with ideas with whoever that then go through senate, which then goes to Mr. Shelton.
WALKER: Do you like how our homecoming is now (less formal and country-themed) or do you want it to be more formal like other schools? LEEDER: I think it might be more fun if it was formal, but I like how it’s country because of the tradition. And I also like two-stepping versus the waltz.
WALKER: Have you begun planning or thinking of
ideas for the Winter Formal and Prom? LEEDER: We have been thinking of themes and throwing around ideas around, but not much beyond that. We need to find venues for those pretty soon, although I’m not completely in charge of that. But we have had a few meetings about it and are working on ideas.
WALKER: There have been differing opinions
on having a Sadie Hawkins dance, what are your thoughts on having one? LEEDER: I would love to have a Sadie Hawkins dance. I think it would be really different and fun, as well as make the students more involved, because it would be something new.
WALKER: Has it been challenging balancing your
school work and planning the dances? LEEDER: Yeah, I would say the hardest thing is communication, like going back and forth with the county commissioner. I also think that since this is the first year someone has tried to help out with the dances, it is hard because I don’t know exactly what that looks likes. Figuring out what that looks like, as well as figuring out the homecoming pep rally is challenging.
AFTER THE DANCE
WALKER: How do you think the
homecoming dance went? LEEDER: I think it went well! I went the day before and laid everything out and then moms set it all up. I think everything looked great and I had a lot of fun.
WALKER: Is there anything that you think
could have gone differently or been better? LEEDER: I wish people could have better understood to use the whole entire room to dance instead of just the one corner. We tried to figure out how to make that happen, but it didnt work out, so it was just kind of cramped.
WALKER: Since our last interview, the
winter formal has finally been approved and declared a Sadie Hawkins dance. Do you have any comments on this new development? LEEDER: I am so excited! I just found out about it today. I am excited to talk to Mr. Shelton and we agreed that its exciting for the girls, because they get to ask the guys. I think it is all the pre-dance stuff that everyone is excited about. I think it will be fun. I also hope everyone will participate and really come out of their shell. It should be really chill. I just hope girls will do it, like big time.
PHOTOS BY KATELYN DAVIS Brooke Leeder poses for the camera showcasing her creative personality. 9
The student body at Geneva hosts a variety of interesting talents, skills and hobbies. Shelby Skidmore, Claire Williams and Jewel McCullough have put their hobbies to use by starting their own small businesses. Taking this initiative has not only helped them to make a profit, but has also given them realworld experience and knowledge that they will keep with them for the rest of their lives.
I’M THE BOSS
STUDENTS USE PASSIONS TO DEVELOP SMALL BUSINESSES BY NATHAN YOUNG 10 CAMPUS CULTURE // FEATURE
BEJEWELED WITH HENNA
Senior Jewel McCullough started her own Henna shop in the summer of her junior year. Henna is a type of temporary tattoo that has become popular in the last few years. “Henna is made from a plant that is turned into powder and combined with essential oils, lemon juice and sugar. I make that into a paste, put it into a bag and pipe it on into a design. The paste hardens, flakes off and stains your skin for about two weeks,” said McCullough. Her shop has the convenient trait of portability. She can move it from event to event and set it up easily. “I usually set up at market days, but I also do
birthdays or special occasions. It’s not a set location; I set up my tent wherever I’m needed”, said McCullough. Through these experiences, McCullough has learned some valuable lessons from her business. “I have to know when to go to certain places, how much I have to pay to be there and how much I might earn... some days I make a profit, and sometimes I don’t.” For McCullough, Henna started out as just a hobby, and soon turned into a full-blown business. “I learned by practicing on myself and my friends.” And although this hobby has turned into a job, “I really love doing it,” said McCullough.
CYPRUS LATIN WORD MEANING HENNA
Jewel McCullough shows off the intricate detail of her henna design. PHOTOS BY BRADEN HALL 11
MAKING BANK OUT OF LETTERS Freshman Shelby Skidmore started a remarkable business in the summer of her eighth grade year that she operates online through a website called Etsy. “Etsy,” she explained, “is like E-Bay, but it’s mostly handmade and personalized stuff. It’s more for small businesses.” Skidmore utilizes this useful website to sell water bottles, cups, shirts, visors, flip-flops, candles and coffee mugs that she monograms herself. Skidmore sells a wide variety of items that she can label from home. “I buy all the materials, design it on the computer, send it over to my two machines that cut vinyl and they cut it,” said Skidmore. Her systematic process allows for maximum efficiency. After making her products, Skidmore must find the time and the means to ship them. “I cut the prod-
LITTERAE LATIN WORD MEANING LETTERS
Shelby Skidmore displays her monogrammed water bottle. 12 CAMPUS CULTURE // FEATURE
ucts at night and either mail them off in the morning or after school”, said Skidmore. Skidmore’s Etsy shop has become very profitable and she now totals a profit of around 1200-1500 dollars every week. She has even done business with some sizeable companies. “I’ve been contacted by some big companies,” Skidmore said, “like the Philadelphia Eagles’ cheerleaders wanted me to do some stuff for them and some companies wanted me to do their logos. I’ve done a lot of stuff for college things like sororities too.” Interacting, communicating and doing business with these significant companies has, no doubt, given her a building block for future jobs and careers.
COLOR ME CLAIRE
Senior Claire Williams, longtime art student, runs an Etsy business that she started in 2015. She uses her artistic ability to paint stationary, customized artwork and acrylic paintings. “I mostly sell customized artwork, acrylic paintings, decorated cake plates and customized stationary which is my most popular product...my customers tell me what they want on a set of cards and I watercolor them”, said Williams She gives her customers the ability to personalize their product with specific requests. “I have watercolored paintings of Bible verses, or I can paint or draw pictures that people send to me... it’s really whatever the customer wants,” said Williams. These business skills are learned best from ex-
perience, and creating an Etsy shop is a great way of doing it. Williams explained, “I’ve always really wanted to sell my art in some way, and I had heard about Etsy so I decided to try it out.” This has given her an outlet for her work and also given her the opportunity to start her own business. Starting and owning her own Etsy shop has given Williams a taste of the experience everyone needs to advance in the business world. “I have learned a lot about how to market myself, reach out to customers and how to set prices based on cost and time”, said Williams Williams has always had a passion for art, and her shop allows her to put her passion and talent to use.
PIGMENTUM LATIN WORD MEANING PAINT
Claire Williams demonstrates her passion for watercolor. 13
A CUT ABOVE
THE REST BY CARISSA GEORGELOS
PHOTO BY IAN COMUZZIE 14
According to the Student Handbook, “Boys’ hair must be cut short enough that it does not reach below their collars, or cover their eyes when combed straight down.” Boys must be clean shaven. There is much controversy on the topic of being clean-shaven among Geneva’s male population. When any of the boys are caught unshaven, you may hear some of the following excuses:
“Shaving at school shortens my class by 15 minutes.” “Why would I buy razors and shave at home when the school gives them to me for free?” “I just shaved this morning. I get my five o’clock shadow early.” “I woke up late and had to shave while driving to school so I missed a few spots.” “My sister stole my razor.” “I can’t shave in the men’s locker room after morning practice. I don’t want to nick myself and get STAPH.” “I couldn’t shave; the gym was locked.” “This isn’t stubble – I was practicing pointillism in art (dot, dot, dot).” “My ear lobes hang low so my sideburns can be lower.” “I’m preparing for the harsh Texas winters.” “I ate Miracle Grow for breakfast.”
I’M JUST TOO LAZY. “We can’t all be like Mr. Shelton.” “I lost a bet with Ben Barton. It was this or a Lewis tie.” “It’s for my role in drama.” “The stubble masks my zits.” “I’m too tall, so I couldn’t see in my mirror.” “I’m growing Coggin more yarn.” “I’m trying to hide my double chin.” “I really don’t care.”
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LIBY NATHANGHTS,ZUNIGCAMERA, ONE ACT A With their succesful win last year, Geneva’s One Act Play is coming back better than ever to host the TAPPS regional competition on Nov 4 and 5, to present their new play.
KILLIAN RICHARDSON
ALLISON REED
The curtains are closed and the crowd is eagerly waiting... 5... minutes until show time. The actors are throwing on their costumes. 4... minutes. Everyone is frantically flipping through pages of lines. 3... minutes. They begin walking quickly and silently to the stage, not a peep from a single soul. 2.... minutes. Everyone is ready and in position. Every ine has been memorized and every scene has been practiced for this very moment. 1... minute. Their hearts are pumping out of their chests. Nerves are swelling up in their stomachs. hands trembling and knees shaking with fear. “Why am I doing this?” Ten seconds. It is time. A hush falls over the crowd, the play is about to begin. Nerves seem to disappear. The minds of the actors are at ease. Everyone is ready. And the curtains are open. This is what goes through the mind of an actor minutes before a play. It goes without mentioning that acting takes hard work and dedication. Those who put the time and effort into memorizing lines and performing effective characters get to
feel the sweet satisfaction of winning first place in the TAPPS state competition for One Act Play, a theater elective that involves one, continuous drama production. And that is exactly what Geneva’s one act team got to feel last year when they won first place with their play, “April Fish.” This year, Geneva’s one act is back and better than ever with their new play, “The Dancers.” Written by Horton Foote, the play revolves around the feeling of loneliness and the responsibility of growing up. The story is about a group of high school students that live in small, Texas town in the 1960’s, which is considerably fitting for Geneva. It’s about how cruel small towns can be, because once a secret gets out, everyone knows. “Everyone can relate to the feeling of wanting to connect and be understood. The biggest aspect about being a teenager is figuring out who you are and finding the urge to become exactly that, regardless of what other people tell you,” said Mr. Poole, teacher and director of One Act. Taking the first place spot again will not be easy; it is all about picking the right play.
16 CAMPUS CULTURE
ALYSSA SALTER
OLIVIA LIPE
HALEY HALLMARK
KENNY KIDD
KORI STRINGER
WILLIS HARPOLE
OLIVIA TENNISON
RALYN GAYLE PARKER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WENDI POOLE
“THE DANCERS” CAST “The hardest thing about One Act is finding a story worth telling. When I read the script for “The Dancers,” I could immediately picture students from Geneva playing the certain parts,” said Poole. Aside from their new play, Geneva’s one act team recently won first place at TAPPS state competition with their play, “April Fish.” And this outcome came surprising to many considering their performance barley qualified for state. “We went into the state competition being the bottom ranked, which actually really helped us because we knew we had to change things up,” said Poole. At this point, the Geneva one act team had become the underdogs. The play was completely redone from the ground up and everyone had to work their hardest to make it better. Every actor had to essentially swing towards the fence and try to hit a home run on every pitch. If they did not put their full effort into this play, “We would have been sure to fail,” said Poole. Doing “just a good job” was not going to be good enough. By the time the state competition had rolled around the corner, the one act team had changed their
KILLIAN RICHARDSON ALLISON REED ALYSSA SALTER OLIVIA LIPE HALEY HALLMARK KENNY KIDD KORI STRINGER WILLIS HARPOLE OLIVIA TENNISON RALYN GAYLE PARKER
HORACE MARY KATHERINE VELMA MORRISON MRS. DAVIS INEZ STANLEY HERMAN STANLEY LILA THE WAITRESS TOM DAVIS ELIZABETH CREWS EMILY CREWS
blocking, music and technical elements. They even completely redid certain scenes for the two main characters, Anselmo and Assunta, to try and make it more meaningful. Needless to say, this helped a great deal. Killian Richardson ended up winning best actor for the second time, for his role as Anselmo. And in the overall scheme of things, Geneva’s One Act team won first place due to their amazing performance. “Our judge really cared about characterization and how believable the characters were, which was great because we had a ridiculously strong cast last year,” said Poole. No matter what happens, the Geneva one act team will always work their hardest and have fun while doing it. “I love the acting program we have here, and I love how Mr. Poole gets involved and spends so much time making us better,” said Stringer. And as One Act Play hopes to make it to state with this new piece, the rest of Geneva waits eagerly to see what masterpiece their play will behold. As last year was a success, so it will be again, regardless of them being the underdogs. 17
QUENCH
YOURBY LUKETHIBOWERRST
When it comes to water bottles, Geneva has them all. Whether it’s Swell, Nalgene, Yeti or even just an emptied milk jug, these vessels determine whether you simply reach into your backpack to take a drink, or take the long hike to the only water fountain on the high school campus. Either way, a water bottle is a must have for every high school student in Texas. Given Geneva’s colorful student body, a diverse group of students means a diverse array of water bottles.
“IT’S MY HANDYMAN, KEEPING MY DRINKS COLD ALL DAY LONG.” -JOSHEPH HOHNE “ICE COLD ALL DAY LONG, ALL NIGHT TOO. CAMO IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO EXPRESS MY PERSONALITY.” -LUKE HARDIN 18 CAMPUS CULTURE
“I LIKE NALGENES BECAUSE IT’S A FULL BODY EXPERIENCE… LIKE DRINKING WATER WITH YOUR WHOLE FACE.” -AUSTIN SALTER
“I LIKE SWELL BECAUSE IT IS ONE ‘SWELL’ WATER BOTTLE.” -VIVIAN BILES “IT’S MORE THAN JUST A WATER BOTTLE…” -TREVOR HIGGS, WHO USES HIS JUG TO BAPTIZE MEMBERS OF “THE OINKERS” AT LUNCH.
PHOTOS BY LUKE BOWER 19
GENEAGLE GAZETTE ADIE HECK YES:
GIRLS 86% GUYS 100%
A glance at some of the interesting things you wish you knew about campus people and random facts you may quickly forget.
BY RUTH WACKER
AWKINS POLL NO WAY:
GIRLS 14% GUYS 0%
PHONE INTERVIEW
Humanities teacher Shawn Harrild shares his iPhone habits and preferences.
NUMBER OF PHOTOS: PAGES OF APPS: 2 919 LAST SEARCH: ANY GAMES? THE WALKING DEAD WWW.GENEVASCHOOL.COM FIRST APP CHECKED IN THE MORNING: WEATHER APP SIRI USER? “NO, ONLY FOR VERBAL ABUSE” FAVORITE INSTAGRAM FEED: DALLAS STARS AND TEACHER MEMES
FAVORITE EMOJI: LAUGHY FACE OR DOUBLE SYRINGE
FAVORITE RING
TONE: R2D2 OR “CANTINA BAND”
20 CAMPUS CULTURE
CLASS RATIOS FRESHMEN
21 GIRLS 39 GUYS SOPHOMORES 34 GIRLS 22 GUYS JUNIORS 19 GIRLS 19 GUYS SENIORS 33 GIRLS 25 GUYS
SIBLING SIMILARITIES
Having a sibling in school can cause some confusion among the teachers, especially if you are a twin. See if you can tell the difference between these Geneva sibling pairs.
PHOTOS BY SARA BETH STOLLE AND IAN COMUZZIE
LAUREN JARVIS
JUNIOR
RUSSELL NAVARRO
KAILA DANIELS
JAMES GROVER
FRESHMAN
SENIOR
FACULTY
LINDSEY JARVIS
SOPHOMORE
TYLER NAVARRO
SENIOR
KARLIE DANIELS
DANIEL GROVER
SENIOR
SOPHOMORE 21
THE SCORE
PHOTO BY BRADEN HALL
Coach Boerboom oversees the girls basketball team during an early morning practice. PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE KNOX
HERE COMES THE BOOM BY JACQUELINE KNOX
Everyone has a passion. Some are passionate about art or music, others are passionate about food or cars. Eric Boerboom is passionate about sports. Sports have always been a part of Eric Boerboom’s life. He was a middle school, high school and college athlete, and coached for ten years at the high school and college levels. Now, after only coaching at Geneva for two years, he has risen to the top: Geneva’s new athletic director. Coaching at a Christian school was not always on Boerboom’s radar. He did not join the church until he was in college, where he started out as a meteorology major but realized that this was not God’s calling for him. Surprisingly, he felt like God was leading him to become a teacher. “I didn’t like to be around people. The thought of coaching or teaching or being in front of people scared to me to death,” said Boerboom. However, he trusted in God and started to pursue his teaching degree.
24 THE SCORE
Eric Boerboom discusses his experiences before Geneva and how he rose to the position of athletic director.
Boerboom quickly realized that teaching and coaching go hand and hand. Having been involved in sports for so long, it made sense for him to become a coach. So he changed his mind once again, and started working towards his coaching degree. He immediately began helping out other coaches at his college and gaining coaching experience. This school year marks Boerboom’s third year of involvement at Geneva. Becoming the athletic director was not something he expected to happen so quickly. “God opens the door and then He gives you the tools necessary to succeed. We never always feel ready for that moment,” said Boerboom. Almost immediately after being hired for the athletic director position, Boerboom was tasked with staffing the athletics program and added three new members to his set of faculty. First, he hired Auburn graduate Karen Wright, who filled
the new position of Logic School athletic director and also began developing the strength and conditioning program. He also recruited Philip Boenitz to fill the position of assistant athletics administrator and oversee the boy’s basketball team. The last addition to the athletics faculty was long-time Geneva mom Robin Ramsey, who took over Boerboom’s old position of athletics administrative assistant. Boerboom is very excited about having three new staff members and believes that they will all be very beneficial to Geneva. Throughout his experience as a coach in and outside of Geneva, Boerboom has always been about doing things the right way. “One of the things that I have wanted to define my programs as, is saying that we are about the process and not the result,” said Boerboom. He carries this over into his vision for the Geneva’s athletics program. He does not want his athletes and coaches to be so focused on winning that they compromise their mission. “[By] focusing on doing things right, day in and day out, and coaching our kids the best we can day in and day out, I think that we will continue to win and be successful. But even if we don’t, the students that we coach are going to go on and be successful athletes,” said Boerboom. Boerboom’s vision for Geneva sports also involves a well-rounded athletic program. “Geneva is not just this or that sport, we are competitive and good at everything. We may not be just great at one thing, but we are good at everything. I think that is the biggest pride I have, that we will not be defined as one or two sports,” said Boerboom. As far as changes go, Boerboom simply wants to continue what former Athletic Director Scott Stolle started. “I’m not here to overhaul or change anything. I’m here to keep the good things good and improve on the things we need to improve on,” said Boerboom. Although almost everything will be staying the same, Boerboom has added some new aspects to the athletics department. He is working a lot on promotion. Boerboom wants to make sure that people know about Geneva athletics through events like sports media day. He also wants to reach out to the kids in Grammar School by inviting them to practices or asking them to play at halftime during a game. Boerboom has also now allowed athletes to have access to the weight room during study halls with coach supervision. Geneva athletics has experienced change this year on an even larger scale with its move up in TAPPS classification. Geneva competed as a 3A school last year, but starting this year will now be up against 4A schools. However, TAPPS recently added a 6A classification, which changed the alignment of school sizes completely. Now, Ge
“WHEN GOD TRANSITIONED MY HEART AND MADE ME HAVE A HEART TO TEACH, COACHING JUST BECAME A PART OF IT.”
25
“I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT COUNT US OUT. I THINK OUR FOOTBALL PROGRAM IS UNDER THE RADAR, AND IT WILL SURPRISE PEOPLE. WE ARE STILL REALLY GOOD AT A LOT OF THINGS WE DO AND THAT IS NOT EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OUR ONE ACT PLAY AND OUR FINE ARTS.” Boerboom chats with cross country coach Rob Inglish during Geneva’s first ever media day.
neva will no longer be one of the smaller schools in 4A. The new average enrollment for 4A schools is 141 to 222 students, and Rhetoric school has an enrollment of 212 students, putting us in the middle of the 4A division. This also means that some of the schools that we competed against last year in 3A are moving up with us. “Our challenge is to make athletics at Geneva something that is enjoyable, but we need to raise the bar,” said Boerboom. Moving up to 4A might make it harder to achieve the high sports rankings Geneva is known for, but the competition is going to be better. 26 THE SCORE
For the past seven years, Geneva has been the proud winner of TAPPS’ Henderson Cup, the TAPPS overall championship trophy, and playing in the 4A division will make it harder for Geneva to keep up the streak. Geneva is one big team, and the new athletic director will help keep things that way. Whether our athletes are crushing it on the volleyball court or our choir is singing their hearts out, we are one school doing everything for the glory of God. “Coach Wright has a quote that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ I think this a great quote for our program,” said Boerboom.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS BY DIVISION In TAPPS, Geneva competed as a 1A school from 2008 to 2012, a 2A school from 2012 to 2014, a 3A school from 2014 to 2016 and is competing as a 4A school starting fall of 2016.
4A 3A 2A 1A
GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY, GIRLS’ BASKETBALL, GIRLS’ TENNIS, GIRLS’ GOLF, BOYS’ GOLF, GIRLS’ TRACK, GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL, BOYS’ BASKETBALL, BOYS’ TENNIS, BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY AND BOYS BASKETBALL BOYS SIX MAN FOOTBALL AND GIRLS TRACK
2016-2017
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Go into the minds of some of Geneva’s fall athletes to experience the ups and downs in rendition of
DAY IN THE LIFE.
RACE I N THE LI F E BY ANSON EGGERSS Really Early Morning, 5:30 a.m. - I eat a white chocolate Quest Bar and drink some sparkling strawberry water.
15 min. - Suddenly, I start having sharp pains in my legs and must imagine a floating donut flying in front of me to keep running.
Early Morning 6:30 a.m.- Next, I hop on the bus, struggle to attach my bib number to my uniform, then listen to Brendan’s puns and Caleb’s prank calls at the same time.
18 min. - A few minutes later, I hear a Geneva parent yelling, “Only 200 meters left!” but unfortunately, they are quite mistaken.
9:00 a.m. - We arrive and stare down JPII as we prepare for the meet. Pre-race 10:00 a.m. - We stretch and I inform David, “I feel horrible this morning.” 0:01 sec. - The gun sounds and I push my way towards the front as the runners funnel down the grass. 3 min. - Soon, I find a cool guy from another school to keep pace with and we talk about our social lives to keep our minds off running. 6 min. - Now I start to think about pain. I also start to wonder what I’ll do once I’m done with the race. Whataburger? Battlefront? Nap? 7 min. - Dang it! I have forgotten to start the timer on my watch again. 9 min. - I pass Caleb and watch him slow down because, once again, he and Noah have sprinted the firsthundred meters.
Freshman Anson Eggerss demonstrates his dexterity in his workout of sprinting up the bleachers 12 min. - I find Brendan and break into a Naruto run to show my dexwhile keeping a smile on his face. terity. PHOTO BY BRADEN HALL 28 THE SCORE
19 min. - I almost trip and twist my ankle for literally the 50th time. 20 min. - Am I almost there? It can’t be that much further…Ugh, another corner. This has to be close. Is that the finish line? No, it’s just a banner that says ‘Finish.’ Oh wait! 21 min. - Finally! It’s the finish line. I look in front of me and see a runner sprinting for the finish line as well. My target is acquired. I double my speed in order to pass him, possibly giving a nudge so that I secure my position. I pass the line and an enthusiastic lady hands me a number and a medal. I almost throw up at least twice, and go find the rest of the team. Post-race, 11:00 a.m. - We go hit up the nearest Whataburger and happen to see the entire Castle Hills team there as well. And finally, we go back to the usual schedule of waking up at 5:30 for grueling practices the following week.
THE GRIND
BY MATTHEW SCHRODER
5:30 a.m. - I wake up and immediately turn on my computer to watch my 30 minutes of game film, Coach Champion’s orders (I watch about 26 seconds before I get bored and shut it off).
Q2 4:46 - Coach glances at me. I take a step forward, eager to get in the game. He quickly looks away. I hang my head. 7:58 p.m. - At halftime, we shar-shar shuffle to the locker room (shoutout to Mrs. Coach Wright).
7:25 a.m. - I rush to school because “on time is late.”
8:02 p.m. - John Michael takes his routine halftime shower.
7:30 a.m. - I turn around and head back home amid shouts of anger from Jacob because I forgot my backpack…and my football bag… and my lunch.
Q3 8:11 - Nathan and I notice that Scott Janse’s new favorite phrase is “behind the sticks.” Q3 3:19 - Ima’ gonna make a huge block on this play… it doesn’t work.
12:26 p.m. - Sandwich #4 goes down the tubes.
Q3 1:20 - It didn’t work- I looked silly.
1:55 p.m. - I try to talk Dr. Rosheger into letting football out 5 minutes earlier than we’re supposed to.
Q4 11:27 - Try to copy the coaches by arguing a call until I get a death stare.
2:04 p.m. - I beat Dr. Rosh in a battle of the wits for my freedom… out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Q4 8:40 - Have a little laugh with myself when I see a freshman get yelled at – think back to simpler times.
3:15 p.m. - On the bus ride I try to force my way into a conversation but it backfires, so I just blast some Rat-Pack until I fall asleep.
Q4 6:53 - Shuffle through the 5,000 water bottles we have until I find one that isn’t empty and doesn’t leak too much - get drenched despite my caution.
6:30 p.m. - I try not to sweat a lot during the warm-ups so I don’t feel too uncomfortable later.
9:06 p.m. - Another way-too-lopsided-for-us-for-it-to-be-their-homecoming win in the books. I’ll take the credit on this one guys.
6:50 p.m. - I try to prepare myself for the game by looking at the intersection between two tiles in the shower while Ty keeps yelling, “Lets go baby!” and “They don’t want it!” (like he’s getting paid for it).
9:12 p.m. - Get dressed awkwardly in the locker room as I try not to make eye contact with coaches and refs; they act like they’re having a conversation to act too distracted to notice us.
7:00 p.m. - Having learnt from past mistakes, I let others run through the cheerleaders’ banner first. Q1 12:00 - As I line up for kickoff, I realize I forgot to try to think of a different form of encouragement, so I tell Sutton to kick a touchback again. Q1 6:34 - Momentarily take a break from the game and hear the signature cheer of Irma Nate, Geneva’s loudest mom/fan, with the rest of the sideline following in suit. Q2 8:32 - It’s so dang hot, milk was a bad choice.
9:26 p.m .- After being the first one in the locker room, I end up the last one out running after the bus. 9:45 p.m. - Try to set the record on the amount of times we can get Coach Brock to yell at us on the way home. Sophomore Matthew Schroder shows off his incredible athleticism with a light toss of the football. PHOTO BY: BRADEN HALL
11:30 p.m. - Arrive home at an unreasonable hour, tell my parents I “don’t have any homework.” Work on said homework then topple onto my bed to ready myself for the grind. 29
THE SET UP
BY BRADEN HALL
Game Day: 8:30 a.m. - I so enjoy seeing so many people sporting camouflage, until I realize that everyone wearing camouflage is coming to the game tonight! I decide to breathe and go to class. 10:35 a.m. - I see Julie as I am walking to one of my classes. We say hi and, even though we’ve now been talking for a while, I still think, “Oh my gosh, Julie Perez knows my name! Be cool. Don’t act like a little freshman.” Then I say, “See you later Julie,” with a shaky voice. Dang it Hall, get it together. 5:00 p.m. - I head to the cage for pregame rituals, like putting two hair bands in my hair and putting on my kneepads that would make a dead hog balk in embarrassment over how bad they stink (okay, they don’t stink that bad. But I still wouldn’t want to smell them unless you want to lose your sense of smell). 5:45 p.m. - The team heads up to the weight room to dance and warm up. I end up doing a spot-on job imitating Kori and Skylar’s dances moves. Of course, I can’t do any of my own dance moves because I don’t have any and end up looking really weird. 6:00 p.m. - We line up and say good luck to other team members. Does it sound like I am saying “gluck” to anyone else? 1st set 0-0 - Okay, do not forget to breathe. Serve at me. Wait don’t serve at me. No, serve at me. Am I bipolar? Maybe Julie was right... They serve at me. 2-0 - Ughhhh, I try to make a good pass as the ball goes in between my hands and hits me in the face. Are you kidding me? Coach is laughing her face off, but hey, we still got a kill off my face pass, right? I can’t see right now. 5-3 - We are winning!!! Yayayayay!!! 6-10 - C’mon let’s push 4 points. 30 THE SCORE
10-10 - How does Kaila jump that high?? Wow, that other team is really tall. 12-10 - *Singing in my head* “I wish I was a little (lot a) bit taller, I wish I was a (volley) baller.” Focus on the game, Braden. Yipee, it’s time for me to go in! 15-10 - I am still serving, sweet! Don’t serve out! *in a Gollum voice* “Serve the precious in their faces.” Oh dear, did I say that out loud? No. Okay good. 25-17 - We won! 2nd set 22-25 - Noo!!! 3rd set 25-20 - Awww yeah that’s how it’s done. Wait, don’t be cocky. And where is some wood to knock on? I guess I could use my head. 4th set 20-25 - I wanna win!!!!! Nooo not another game to 5 sets, I am exhausted I have homework I haven’t done yet. We better win! 5th set 4-3 - Whoever is doing the book missed something and the person doing the scoreboard entered something incorrectly and now all the visitors’ parents are complaining the score should be 7-3. Are you kidding me? She made a mistake then she fixed it, chill! 13-12 - I want them to rue the day they decided to play volleyball! Isn’t that a bit harsh? Nah! 15-13 - That was way too close for comfort. Food sounds really good right now! Post-game 8:15 - Why does everyone have a camera or want to hug me? Don’t they know I look like someone that just ran a marathon through the jungle? 8:24 p.m. - Ahh, another volleyball game over and done and we won. Don’t know why I rhyme, but it’s been fun! Now for an Icee or Whataburger. What will it be today?
PHOTO COURTESY OF LACY HALL Freshman Braden Hall spins the volleyball, focusing on the upcoming the game.
STATS NUMBER OF STUDENT ATHLETES IN FALL SPORTS FROM EACH HOUSE:
26 25 ONE24HUNDRED20SEVENTEEN LEWIS
SAYERS
MILTON
CHAUCER
THE NUMBER OF TEAMMATE SLAPS GENEVA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS MAKE COMPARED TO FOOTBALL PLAYERS:
VOLLEY BALL SLAPS IN THE SAN JUAN DIEGO GAME
TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT
FOOTBALL SLAPS IN THE SHRINER GAME
31
TRAINING EVERYBODY
BY EMME OWENS
New science course collaborates with athletics program
The trainers carry a fanny pack, which includes medical items to be used in case of injury. PHOTOS BY JAQUELINE KNOX
W
hen summer comes to an end and school starts to roll around, most students dread the thought of re-entering into the world of homework, tests and quizzes. No one is ready for the early mornings and the excessive amount of time spent studying late at night that school necessitates. ‘What’s the point? I’m never going to use this later in life, so why am I taking this class now?’ While some subjects may seem pointless or boring, others cultivate an I-might-actually-use-this-in-life mindset and help students get through the endless year of school work. “When I go into a science class, I’m really intrigued by it because I know I’m going to be using it in the future, and it’s astounding what the human body can do,” senior Karlie Daniels said. Geneva’s science department is always changing and developing. Whether it’s the teachers or courses, there always seems to be something new. Seven years ago, the anatomy class was added to the list of classes juniors and seniors could pick from for their science credit. The popularity of the class has only grown since its introduction into the curriculum. With Head of Science Mrs. Jill Daniels as the instructor, this class has taught many students more about their bodies and how they function. Given her past experience with personal athletic training and the success of the anatomy course, Jill Daniels has been trying to start an applied anatomy class for the past five years.
32 THE SCORE
“It’s always been something I thought would be really cool to have here but never really got the momentum to do it,” she said. Thanks to football coach Dean Herbort, this is the first year the science department is offering Applied Anatomy, where the students take the concepts and information they learned the year before in the Anatomy class and apply it to real life situations in athletics. This gives students the opportunity to gain experience in something they could potentially study in college. Herbort has connections with the Northwest Baptist Hospital and was able to get a certified trainer to pair up with Jill Daniels to teach the class. Trainer Breanna Colton has willingly agreed assist Mrs. Daniels to oversee the anatomy students on the field and court while Jill Daniels teaches in the classroom. During class, students take what they learned from the prerequisite anatomy class and build the organs and muscles onto a skeleton with clay to learn specific placement and identify how muscle structures work. They also learn how to identify various injuries on different parts of the body and what protocols to follow. The second semester focuses more on nutrition, cardiovascular and respiratory issues. However, this is only half of the class. The students are also required to put in ten hours of game-training per quarter for an assessment grade. By year’s end, the students “will understand their body better and understand injuries and how to rehab
Student trainer Caleb Hubbard hands water exhausted Daniel Grover during a football game.
injuries better and why it takes time for all this to happen. They will be able to identify in their own bodies when something is wrong and understand what the doctor is saying when they are injured,” Jill Daniels said. While this may seem like a load of work, the students have embraced the exciting, hands-on curriculum. “I’m the type of person who wants [to use the things I learn later in life,] so actually being able to go to a class that I’m interested in and learn about the medical aspects of science is enjoyable,” said Applied Anatomy senior Julie Perez. Many students currently taking the class plan on pursuing a degree in the medical field and hope that this class will provide a baseline for courses they will take in college. For others, this class shows a little of their internal drive to help others. “Going into a medical profession, you have to have this want to help people and [being a student trainer] kind of triggers that,” said senior Sammy Ledoux said. Ledoux plans on studying to be a surgeon.
“GOING INTO A MEDICAL PROFESSION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS WANT TO HELP PEOPLE, AND BEING A STUDENT TRAINER KIND OF TRIGGERS THAT.”
Due to Geneva’s small size, the majority of student trainers are also athletes. But because of their bend toward sports, athletes choose to take this class to gain experience as a trainer while also receiving assistance and advice from a professional when competing. “It’s cool to learn how to tape, because we are always on the receiving end. It’s cool getting the other perspective,” senior and varsity football player Ty Navarro said. The students are not alone in their zeal for learning practical sports medicine. Jill Daniels was an athletic trainer before teaching at Geneva and is passionate about her new class, hoping to see it continue to grow in the future. “I haven’t been able to do what I’m doing now for a long time, and it’s actually really fun. I realized how much I missed [teaching] and being in the training room with the athletes,” Jill Daniels said. “I think what I enjoy most is helping the athletes, but [also] just being able to take what’s in a text book and allow the kids to do something applicable with it and I think what’s been really fun is just listening to the kids and how excited they are about it.” 33
GENEVA’S
“ULTIMATE FANTASY TEAM”
COACH STOLLE DRAFTS GENEVA’S FANTASY TEAM BY DANIEL GROVER
W
hether it is running into an electrical box on the field at full sprint (Chris Budde) or having a stomach that never seems to be filled (John Michael Kight), all the players on this list are remembered in their own significant way. They are bonded by their superior ability to play the great game of football. This “fantasy” all-star team is selected by Coach Scott Stolle and remembered fondly by their former headmaster Rob Shelton. These students are a staple in the legacy that is Geneva football. Our team is known around the Texas area for knocking players to the ground and then helping them up and telling them that they can “get ‘em next time.” They will be remembered around the school as giants among men. Giants who occasionally forgot to do their pre-cal homework.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SMUG MUG 34
OFFENSE Marcial Brock-Quarterback: No exaggeration, he was 6’ 4” and could throw the ball 1000 yards. Graduated: 2013 Attending: Texas A&M Chris Budde-Wide Receiver: He was Odell Beckham before Odell Beckham! Graduated: 2013 Attending: Abilene Christian University Christian Lipe-Running Back and back up Quarterback: True to Lipe-fashion, he could do anything. Graudated: 2013 Attending: Texas A&M Bryce Hartis-Running Back: He could run with anything and make it happen. Graduated: 2015 Attending: Blinn College Hayden Bomgaars-All Purpose: You could put anything in Hayden Bombgaars’ hands. Graduated: 2016 Attending: Texas State John Michael Kight-Full Back/Tight End: He is a fly trap, and we are not even talking about all the food he has. Graduating: This year, 2017
DEFENSE Sam Tippets-Defensive Back: He could tackle anything in the animal kingdom. Graduated: 2014 Attending: Texas Christian University Hunter Hamon-Defensive Line: He is a brick wall...that moves. Graduated: 2015 Attending: Blinn TEAM (Texas A&M) Will Anderson-Defensive Back: Will Anderson was a downright bully on the field. Graduated: Boerne High School, 2015 Attending: University of Texas at Austin. Preston Standerfer-Defensive Line: A conerstone of the rock solid Geneva defense. Graduated: 2014 Attending: Baylor University Cinco Winston-Line Backer: He was the heart and soul of the defense. Graduated: 2015 Attending: Texas A&M Chris Budde-Line Backer: He could stop the run like no one else. Graduated: 2013 Attending: Abilene Christian University 35
TAKE A
KNEE Alongside pumpkin spice lattes and sweater weather, football defines autumn in modern America. “Friday night lights” pictures flood Instagram at the end of nearly every week, and fantasy football lineups slowly begin to take priority over school and office work. As the leaves change to welcome in this time of year, however, the National Football League has experienced a subtle change in undertone with the arrival of a new season of football. Nearly all of America has witnessed the sideline protests staged by some NFL players over the last three months. The controversy first arose in August during pre-season games, when San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat on the bench during the singing of the national anthem in an act of protest. Since then, players across the country have taken a knee, raised a fist or linked arms during the Star Spangled Banner in the hopes of calling awareness to various causes, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. These protests have left viewers attempting to find an appropriate reaction to the disregard many players now seem to show for the national anthem. Geneva, as a body of Christian athletes, has varying opinions on the current state of the NFL.
36 THE SCORE // OPINION
OR TAKE A
“I’m going to honor someone’s right to exercise their freedom to not stand for the national anthem,” said Rhetoric School Headmaster Rob Shelton. “While I respect that, and I understand that’s part of the foundation of who we are, I just don’t think they follow through the long-term ramifications.” Shelton questions at what point the athletes will be satisfied and quit the protesting, or whether such a point even exists. “What’s the end game? When do you stop doing the protests? What would it take? If you don’t have that, then I don’t think it’s thought through,” Shelton said. Varsity football player freshman Josh Nate conncurs with Shelton, but takes a more dramatic view when it comes to Kaepernick specifically. “He can say what he wants because he has freedom of speech. But if he doesn’t like America, I think he should just leave,” he said. “He’s just trying to get attention.” “The whole thing was set up for attention,” admitted senior Dyllon Gentry, varsity basketball player. “Kaepernick’s not going to be like, ‘I’m going to do this, and no one’s going to care.’ Kaepernick planned that out, with his full-blown afro.”
STAND? Rhetoric School weighs in on NFL protests
However, unlike Nate, Gentry believes Kaepernick truly wants to direct that attention toward the greater good, not himself. “He’s standing for love and equality, and that’s something that we need to show each other,” he said with confidence. Athletes like Kaepernick are forced to take drastic measures in order to be heard because no one is listening to the remarks they make in press conferences, said Gentry. Because professional football is one of the mostwatched programs in America, the NFL athletes have used this enormous platform to their full advantage. “Knowing that [Kaepernick] is using his platform in the most nonviolent way, I think that’s super neat,” said Gentry. Gentry, whose grandfather was a member of the military, doesn’t find players kneeling during the national anthem offensive. “Being in the military, you represent all walks of life. You’re representing the country and the people in that country.” The mistreatment of minorities can’t be overlooked in an attempt to respect U.S. troops, he said,
BY ARIANNA FLORES
even on important dates like 9/11. “People talk about this American dream, but they get to America and some lives are ‘more important’ than others. That’s the message we’re sending.” Nate stands at the opposite end of the spectrum, preferring to keep politics off the football field. “All around, it’s not the right way to do it. I don’t know why he would stay and protest,” he said. “If anyone did that during a Geneva game, you would think, ‘why are you going to Geneva if you don’t like it?’” said Nate.
“HE’S STANDING FOR LOVE AND EQUALITY, AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO SHOW EACH OTHER.” 37
“IF ANYONE DID THAT DURING A GENEVA GAME, YOU WOULD THINK, ‘WHY ARE YOU GOING TO GENEVA IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT?’” On a much smaller scale, Geneva combats its own version of social protests “when someone has a thesis topic that is not necessarily in line with what we as a school stand for,” said Shelton. “Students present sometimes where the party line of the school is in opposition. Unless it puts the school in a bad light, we still allow that, and that’s important,” he said. Whether or not these protests contradict or support the foundation of the United States, the “land of the free” remains a place a freedom as citizens continue to discuss topics such as this one. “Yes, the song is reverence to the people who died,” said Gentry. “But those people died for us to be one with each other. That’s America.” However controversial the NFL protests have become, Rhetoric School students are equipped to evaluate issues fairly and completely. Students represent both sides of the debate, respectfully taking a stand themselves. GRAPHIC BY SARA BETH STOLLE
GET YOUR HEAD
IN THE
GAME COMPILED BY ANSON EGGERSS
39
BIG PICTURE
PHOTO COURTESY OF DUANE BENSON
A HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO BOERNE EXPLORING THE UNEXPLORED IN BOERNE
If you seek adventure, sanctuary or a safe place to sit without having to see someone you know, these hidden parts of Boerne are definitely for you. Here are five hidden hangouts missed by both locals and tourists.
ALL PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE KNOX
BY ANNA RIEDLINGER 42 BIG PICTURE
Starting at top, clockwise: Electric Coffee, Cibolo Canyon, Carriage House Art Gallery, Hill Country African Violets and Plant Nursery, Piknik and plant nursery again.
PLANT NURSERY:
The African Violet Nursery off I-10 is one of the most enchanting places in Boerne. These greenhouses are full of all sorts of plants, from succulents to venus flytraps and beautiful orchids. If you are super overwhelmed with homework, the nursery is a great place to walk around. Adventure can be found throughout all the greenhouses, and each has its own set of surprises (though I am always confused how they make any profit because no one is ever there). I am kind of convinced that this place is a little crack in our universe. Maybe it’s the mixture of old people, cats and soil that gives me weird, spacey, timey-whimey vibes. Oh, and avoid slamming the greenhouse doors – they are very sensitive about that. I’ve been scolded more than once.
CARRIAGE HOUSE ART GALLERY:
Walking through this art gallery like a little old lady makes you wish that you were old enough for the senior discount at a Denny’s. The carriage house art gallery is across the street from Chevron on Main Street, and it always surprises me. It is super small but they actually have some pretty cool art pieces. It is owned and operated by 12 artists/partners, who create works of art using many different mediums and subjects. Warning: You could get trapped into talking to an old person for longer than is healthy.
PIKNIK:
If you eat food and enjoy it, this place is for you. This hidden cafe is in the back of a vitamin store on N Main Street, and it is hard to find but definitely worth it. I highly recommend going there on a rainy day to enjoy their homemade soup. They have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. They also have super yummy salads if you’re into that kind of thing. Ten out of ten, would nik again (short for piknik).
ELECTRIC COFFEE:
Great coffee. Nice owner. Comfy seats. If you want to convince someone you’re really cool and in with the times, go here. This cozy coffee shop right next to the UPS Store and Game Stop was definitely meant to be in Austin and is too hip for Boerne to handle. If you’re tired of seeing people you know at The Dienger Trading Co., come to Electric. It’s a great place to do homework and relax. And if you’re lucky, once in a new moon Geneva alumni Jake Bomgaars (2014) will play his sweet tunes here. It is also the last place Noah Benson was sighted in the states. Electric is better than Starbucks, and cuter than The Dienger.
CIBOLO CANYON... WARNING:
This place is only for a true adventurer. If you know where it is, that’s great. If not, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. But what I can tell you is that it is crazy beautiful. There’s swimming for those who swim, fishing for those who fish and there is even a little graffiti wall for white girls to take pictures with. It’s like a little Garden of Eden hidden in the middle of Boerne. It’s a long walk or a short bike ride, but you have to know which turns to take and which fences to hop. I can’t guarantee that it’s necessarily legal or safe, so go at your own risk. Or don’t go and don’t risk anything. That’s probably best. 43
THE RANT
Aisling Ayers unleashes her rage against big-time Buc-ees coming to small-town Boerne.
BUC-EES EDITION
BY AISLING AYERS
Nestled in the heart of the beautiful Texas hill country, Boerne boasts of its unique small town charm and historic German culture. Locals take pride in the well-maintained main street and the fact that few major developers have managed to sneak in any money-making, huge eyesore establishments. That is, until now. The unthinkable has happened. Hold onto your seats, because the news I am about to give to you may be shocking and unsettling.
THE LIGHT POLLUTION CAUSED BY THE INCOMING GAS STATION OF BUC-EES WILL SURELY HAVE ME WAVING GOOD-BYE TO THE FEW STARS LEFT. A Buc-ees is coming to Boerne. The Texas gas station of all gas stations, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, is moving in. The convenience 44 BIG PICTURE // OPINION
store metropolis is predicted to be 53,000 square feet with 90 gas pumps and four additional pad sites and will be built as early as 2019. This is definitely not your mom-and-pop local gas station just up the road. The Buc-ees Family Travel Center is known to attract travelers and families from all over Texas and with such a major establishment right off of the highway, Boerne’s already painful traffic rate will increase tremendously. Fortunately, road improvements are in the works for the future. However, I really do not think that they will be of much use. Boerne is a fast growing city, especially in the last three years, and it certainly is not stopping anytime soon. According to Mysa.com, one unhappy Facebook user wrote, “I know development is inevitable. Just makes me sick to realize it will be big-box-concrete-24/7lights-on-development.” I have to agree. The struggle to see the Boerne stars at night, like I used to when I was a kid, has become harder and harder as the years go by. Car dealerships and rental shops with seas of fluorescent, bright lights have gradually popped up, closing the gap between Boerne and San Antonio. The light pollution caused by
the incoming gas station of Bucees will surely have me waving good-bye to the few stars left. You may be asking yourself, why has the city approved this atrocity? I certainly asked myself the same question when the news of the new Buc-ees first reached me. The answer is simple. They’re in it for the money. Mayor of Boerne Mike Shultz reports to KSAT News; “This will be huge in the dividends that it will pay in our community for years and years to come.” Well, that is just fabulous. I am overjoyed that a gigantic eyesore is being placed in the middle of my home that will cause more traffic, lights, and noise in an already financially prospering neighborhood. This massive economical and commercial development will assuredly give developers who have had their eyes on Boerne for years the ‘green light.’ The bumper stickers that read “Boerne, Texas, Gone Forever,” have become reality. This “New Boerne” may be exciting for some, but for the rest of us die-hard locals, the small town and community we have grown up with is nearly gone forever. Who knows, maybe in five years the sign for the entrance of town will read ‘Welcome to Boerne, home of Buc-ees.’
Some people volunteer just for the accolades and to beef up their resume. Others serve because of mandatory hours for National Honor Society, or their parents require them to participate in volunteer work. Whether it’s out of charity or necessity, volunteering can profoundly impact both the recipient and the volunteer’s life. Take a look at some of the local ministries around Boerne that need Christ-emulating people to help reach out to those in need.
VOLUNTEERING FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS YOU CAN GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNIUNITY. 45
LEND A HAND
BY KATELYN DAVIS
MEADOWLAND CHARTER SCHOOL
HEARTLAND CHILDREN’S HOME
Director: Jennifer Farias Location: Boerne, Texas Phone: 830-816-2425 Who are they? Meadowland is a facility that has been serving children who were taken from their families due to abuse or crisis situations for over 40 years. They privately house and provide an education for 80 girls and boys in need of mental, physical and emotional stabilization. How can you help? This facility is in need of volunteers to help with homework tutoring, teaching life skills like cooking or playing an instrument, doing arts and crafts or showing them how to play a sport.
46
THREADS OF LOVE
Director: Liz Paige Location: San Antonio Texas Phone: 210-691-2105 Who are they? Threads of Love is a Christian-based organization that has provided clothing, blankets and other handmade items for tiny premature and sick babies in the San Antonio community for over 17 years. There are 32 different items that are made for the premature babies, created from the facility’s 45 sewing machines and tables for cutting and knitting. In each bag the ministry makes, the parent of a premature baby receives a crocheted blanket, a knitted cap, a day gown, a lovie doll and a prayer for healing. They also provide a burial gown, a bonnet and a casket for the loss of the child through a miscarriage, infant death or stillbirth. How can you help? If you would like to volunteer, please contact the director. Volunteers can help with sewing clothing and laundry bags, knitting baby booties and hats, crocheting quilts, collecting yarn and baby fabric, praying for the team of volunteers, sewing on labels or making memory boxes, Christmas stockings or baby caskets. “There is something for everybody,” said Director Liz Paige.
Director: Ruth Schwartz Location: Boerne, Texas Phone: 830-537-4078 Who are they? Heartland is a foster home for medically fragile, severely abused and neglected children. This facility has 24-hour nursing care for children who are on trachs/ventilators. In 31 years of operation, 651 children have come through their facility, ranging from different medical needs such as heart defects, shaken baby syndrome, spinal bifida and meningitis. They house and care for 20 children at a time, ages 0 to 18. How can you help? If you would like to volunteer, please give them a call and coordinate with their office manager. Volunteer needs include donating children’s toys and various types of diapers, reading to and playing with the children and interacting with them in or outside.
THE LODGE AT LEON SPRINGS
Director: Rebecca Cody Location: Leon Springs, Texas Phone: 830-357-6578 What are they? The Lodge at Leon Springs is an independent and assisted living senior community that has been operating for over 20 years. Their mission is to provide compassionate care, while maintaining resident dignity. Situated on approximately 15 acres of land with a gorgeous duck pond and tall cypress trees, this facility offers 24-hour care for 21 assisted living residents and for 26 residents living in independent cabins on site. How can you help? If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the director to find out what is on the calendar. Volunteers can help by visiting, playing games, reading, or entertaining the senior citizens with music through a new program that was created by a local Girl Scout. These many avenues allow for an abundance of volunteers to give back to the community.
HILL COUNTRY PREGNANCY HILL COUNTRY DAILY BREAD CARE CENTER MINISTRIES Director: Kimberly Siess Location: Boerne, Texas Phone: 830-249-9717 Who are they? HCPCC is a Christian-based organization that provides assistance to teens, young adults, and middle age women and men who are in need of physical, emotional, and spiritual nourishment while dealing with unexpected pregnancies. For 30 years, HCPCC has provided a safe, private place to discuss health services, prenatal and parenting classes and community education. The Heart to Heart program is designed to offer new and gently used baby items How can you help? Volunteers can help with various items offsite. They can make baby booties and caps, knit baby blankets, organize the clothing in Nanny’s Closet, be a prayer partner, donate baby necessities (diapers & wipes), help with community events and fundraisers. Volunteers who are of age can assist with counseling, male mentoring, Bible studies, grounds maintenance, office work and newsletter mailouts. Urgent needs are any qualified Bilingual RN’s and LVN’s who can work Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Director: Agnes Hubbard Location: Boerne, Texas 830-755-5200 Who are they? Hill Country Daily Bread (HCDB) is a Christian-based organization that provides food, clothing and the necessities of life to impoverished people. Over their 15-year existence, they have provided to 35,000 people in the Hill Country area through ministries with 50 neighboring churches. Around 100 to 150 volunteers serve at this facility on a weekly basis, year-round. How can you help? Volunteers can help with making phone calls to donors, assembling a team of prayer warriors, sorting donated clothing, stocking and sorting warehouse food, packing food in distribution boxes, serving the clients on distribution evenings and also picking up donated food and delivering it to locations.
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THE GROWING CHURCH AS THE CITY GROWS AND THE CULTURE CHANGES, BOERNE CHURCHES LEARN TO ADAPT.
CULTURAL GROWTH:
ST. PETER’S
TAKES A STAND FOR TRUTH BY LAUREN JARVIS ALL PHOTOS BY IAN COMUZZIE
48 BIG PICTURE // FEATURE
ADJUSTS In 1866, a young deacon was given the job of founding a Catholic church in a small town in South Texas. He built a small chapel on a hill, which the quickly-forming parish outgrew by 1923, requiring some reconstruction. The church buildings underwent more construction in 1999 to accommodate the exponential expansion of the church body. Now, St. Peter’s Catholic Church houses over 800 people at a time, with the little chapel on the hill still overlooking the growing city of Boerne. The constant growth of Boerne, TX has necessitated not only physical expansion for local churches, but also has forced the church to adapt to a fast-paced culture. Living in the twenty-first century, the barriers that divide the Christian church from the rest of the society seem more prevalent every day. Stories of rainbow flags and violence fill our newspapers and news channels. People all across the globe are passionately fighting for what they believe in, standing strong in their views. The position of the church on modern controversy has been butchered and stereotyped over time. St. Peter’s Youth Minister Burt Hernandez defends the Christian faith against the often ridiculous stereotypes pinned to Christians by saying that the church teaches against actions, not people. We are all made in the image and likeness of God, Hernandez said simply, and he shares the truth with the youth he encounters at St. Peter’s. Christians are called treat everyone with respect in spite of the controversial world we live in.
Hernandez has decided to view the change in the community’s size and culture as something positive. The more people that move into Boerne, the more people who have the opportunity to hear the Good News. To make a difference in modern culture, Hernandez keeps Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 to “go and make disciples of all nations” at the forefront of his mind. “[The growth of Boerne] is an opportunity for the church to do what we are supposed to be doing: evangelize,” said Hernandez. This often means going against the grain of the majority of our community, “There is a push in our society to do what you feel, and what you feel is who you are,” said Hernandez. He believes that this push is directly connected to this new generation of technology, another result of an expanding culture. “As connected as we are, we aren’t really connected,” he said. Technology makes barriers between Christians and secular society more evident because people hide behind masks made of digital screens. Sitting behind a screen makes it easier to spread hate because there is no confrontation involved. The church encourages building relationships through personal encounters, rather than solely through the Internet. If the church strives to acknowledge the shifting culture, truth will spread despite our various differences. At the core, human nature is the same. “We all desire to love and be loved,” he said. “As connected as we are, we aren’t really connected,” said Hernandez.
Tapping the “follow” button connects populations virtually but doesn’t build wholesome, personal relationships. Technology makes barriers between Christians and society even more evident. Sitting behind a screen makes it easier to spread hate because there is no confrontation involved. The church, however, wants to spread compassion and kindness, and adaption to modern society is essential to reaching that goal.
“[THE GROWTH OF BOERNE] IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHURCH TO DO WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING: EVANGELIZE.” 49
NEW CHURCH GROWTH:
19:10 CHURCH Despite the sometimes annoying increase in bustle around Boerne, one of the advantages of living in a growing city is the number of stellar churches that spring up to meet the needs of the population. On September 11th, 19:10 Church celebrated its ten-year anniversary. A big part of the celebration was recognizing the change in size over the years. A large part of this growth is a result of the ever-growing number of residents in Boerne. Even still, the atmosphere and goal of 19:10 as a church to welcome new people every week has been the same since the beginning. The feeling of being a part of a family and coming home is a common description of this church. 19:10 High School Pastor Danny Phillips vividly remembers the first time visiting the church with his wife and family. “We left with that feeling of, ‘this feels like home,’” said Phillips. After experiencing such an overwhelming sense of welcome and belonging, Phillips makes it his goal as a youth pastor to make every student feel that same way when coming on a Wednesday night to 19:10’s The Hill student ministry. 19:10’s middle school youth pastor Chase Courtney, who returned to the church staff a year ago, was the first youth pastor for what is now 19:10 Church. His memories of the church’s student ministry go all the way back to the beginning. “From [the] first time to now it’s dramatically different, because we met in homes the first time. We never had a service. It looked more like a youth group,” said Courtney. “Once again it has the same vibe, same culture of being close to one another. Then we didn’t have a worship band, we didn’t have anybody who could sing or play an instrument, so we played worship music on an iPod. And now we have around 3 bands at any time.” Both youth pastors recognize the importance of maintaining and fostering church growth as Boerne expands. In order for the church to 50
CELEBRATED THEIR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR
BY JESSICA WHEELER
be successful in bringing the good news to the masses, its expansion must mirror that of the city. “As the community grows, the covering has to grow, which is the covering of churches. [This] means one of two things. The churches in Boerne need to be able to expand to provide that... not as competition, but as an expansion of this covering within this growing community,” said Phillips. Phillips continues to explain that, as good followers of Christ, 19:10 desires to welcome all people into the church body, especially those with differing family, social and cultural backgrounds than the typical Boerne lifestyle. The church wants to eliminate any pressure of fitting into a certain mold, and receive newcomers right where they are. “The goal then is not to form you into this 19:10 church individual so that we all look the same, but you are what God has worked in you, your heritage, your past, your story,” Phillips said. “We want to celebrate that and continue to grow more into the likeness of Christ.” At 19:10’s ten-year anniversary celebration, Boerne Mayor Mike Schultz spoke about the immense impact 19:10 Church has had on the town of Boerne over the past decade. One thing Phillips recognizes about this is “How rare, and how big of a deal that was, that the political entity of the city would recognize the impact of a church on the community. And the proclamation from the mayor said that if 19:10 Church wasn’t in this community, it would be felt,” Phillips said. With all the rapid changing of Boerne in mind, Phillips sticks to one goal alongside the rest of 19: 10. “Are we blessing the community around us? Not so they would come to us, but as a response to that original calling from God that He blessed us [with], so that we would turn around and bless others.”
STRUCTURAL GROWTH
CURREY CREEK ACCOMODATES AN EXPANDING COMMUNITY WITH CONSTRUCTION PLANS
BY RUTH WACKER
Up on the stage stands Pastor John Free, about to speak. He’s planned out this sermon for weeks, and he’ll have to repeat it three times. In one Sunday, Free will preach the same words to 1,400 people. From overseeing two small churches of less than 120 people, he has now arrived at this. In 2001, Free planted Boerne’s beloved Currey Creek Church with the help of First Baptist Presbyterian. Initially, the church was so small that it did not have its own building. Its first Sunday service held about 70 people, 55 of which were adults. “We were meeting at [Boerne] Middle School South in their cafeteria, and the Sunday schools were in the hallways of the building. There were people everywhere,” said Free. Since then, Free’s Currey Creek has experienced exponential growth on such a level that the church staff (pastors, office workers, and elders) has been struggling to find ways to support their community with both a temporary and a long term plan. However, no matter the increase in the church’s size, Currey Creek’s primary goal remains to disciple the members, not just grow in numbers. “For the staff, the greatest issue [in growing] is ‘How do we appropriately minister to all the people?’ Our challenge is to get them into discipleship and make disciples,” said Free. “Jesus said go and make disciples, not attenders.” As the church gets larger, the staff must constantly adjust their plans for reaching out to the entire church community. Currey Creek offers small group bible studies and Creek Institute Classes in order reach out to the entire congregation personally. “The hardest part [of growing] for me personally is that, as the church grows, I don’t get
to know the people who are new and coming. I don’t have a personal interaction with them. When you’re smaller you know everybody, so there is a lot more personal interaction,” said Free. Overall, the staff at Currey Creek has both a temporary and a long term goal to accommodate its ever-expanding body. Ultimately, they want to build a larger children’s building and permanent worship center, and to sell or donate the portables [where the classes meet] to increase parking space. They hope to reach maximum capacity for the amount of land they have eventually. After maximizing the local church here in Boerne, Currey Creek will look to expand the church as a whole by planting churches in the nearby growing communities, such as Comfort and Bergheim. Currey Creek has already helped to plant churches in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Moldova, Nicaragua and The Well in Abilene, Texas. They want to continue supporting these churches and helping them to grow and thrive. Because constructing buildings and planting churches takes time and the church body development is so rapid, Currey Creek’s staff has made temporary plans to accommodate the amount of people in their small space. At the moment, Free preaches his sermon three times each Sunday to maximize their current space until permanent buildings are constructed. Free had no idea Currey Creek would expand to such a large size. Despite the challenges that come with ministering to a mass of people, he sees the growth of Currey Creek as a blessing which shows the power of God to work beyond his servant’s highest aspirations. “For the church to grow and flourish, we just see that as the hand of God as His blessing for us,” said Free. “He determines those things, and we just want to be good stewards of the people that He brings.” 51
ELECTING TO VOTE
BY CAROL METZGER SENIORS VOICE THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT VOTING FOR THE FIRST TIME
POLL
ELIGIBLE SENIORS STATS
15% NOT VOTING 30% VOTING THIRD PARTY 55% VOTING FOR TRUMP 85% REGISTERED TO VOTE 52 BIG PICTURE
Will the class of 2017 be “With Her” or will they “Make America Great Again”? This November, thousands of Americans across the country will cast their ballots for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election. To be eligible to vote, you must be registered and be at least 18 years of age. For seniors at Geneva, this year marks their first opportunity to participate in a Presidential Election. However, because of the “uniqueness” of this year’s candidates, many seniors are less than thrilled that this is their first election in which to vote—to the extent that some seniors are not voting at all. Out of the 20 seniors who are eligible, a fraction are registered and plan on voting. For many, this election is a disappointing first participation in U.S. politics. Specifically, many are dissatisfied with the choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as the next President of The United States. “They weren’t my first choices for the nominees. Personally I liked John Kasich for the Republican party,” said senior Jeff Rosinbaum. Similar to Rosinbaum, Senior Ashton Rodgers is also disappointed with the nominee options. “I was really excited to vote, but I think they are both terrible options. I definitely won’t vote for the Republican nominee or the
Democratic nominee, but I will vote,” Rodgers said. With such controversial political figures running for president, many are finding themselves wanting to forgo the election altogether. When asked whether abstaining from voting was wrong, Rosinbaum said, “I think part of the right to vote is the right not to vote, but the more people that vote, the better it is for society.” Rodgers agreed saying, “The only wasted vote, is an unprincipled one.” However, some seniors hold very different opinions. Senior Jake Strange said, “Not voting is just a vote for Hillary.” Whether or not it is right to forgo voting, it is clear that for a number of the class of 2017, they would rather abstain from voting than elect Trump or Hillary. However, there are always third party options for which to vote, said Rodgers. Polling the registered seniors revealed that a substantial amount will vote in favor of Trump. However, when these seniors were asked about the election, almost all of them answered with a sigh of disappointment before saying “Trump”. Nevertheless, some will vote third party while others will abstain entirely. Regardless of the choices that the seniors make in voting, there is no doubt this election will be remembered by not only the class of 2017, but all of America for years to come.
MAKI N G A SHOW AT THE RNC GENEVA MOM, LISA NILSSON HAS TEXAS SPIRIT FOR POLITICS BY JAYNE GOODMAN GOODMAN: Where does
that was treated was very weird, because I believe Donald Trump knew that Ted Cruz was planning to not endorse him. So I do not know why everyone acted like that was a big surprise. I was disheartened at how they turned that into a scandal. I guess being in the media, I already knew this. But the reality of the experience and the way that the media portrays it are very different things. So we just sort of had to find a way to laugh at it.
your interest in politics come from?
NILSSON: I’ve been paying attention to politics since I was in college. I got a journalism degree and worked in television news for a while. Because of that, you have to interview politicians and you have pay attention to elections, and I started learning how the whole process worked in a practical way. Being a journalist, I guess it is just my nature. I just enjoy knowing, even though sometimes it is very frustrating; but I feel it’s my responsibility as a citizen to pay attention and be involved also.
GOODMAN: How does one become an alternate delegate?
GOODMAN: What was the most memorable moment from the convention? had to be elected to be an alternate delegate in my congressional meeting at the State Convention.
GOODMAN: What did you think of the Republican National Conven-
NILSSON: So every man or women tion? in the country represents a congressional district and they are divided up by population. I’m in Will Herd’s district, and that’s district 23. For the Republican Party, each congressional district gets three delegates, and three alternate delegates. There is not much we really get to vote on at the National Convention and that was a little bit of a disappointing discovery. The National Committee makes sure to take care of all the business beforehand and they want everything well scripted for television. There were around 3,000 delegates. So from Texas we had 155 delegates and 155 alternates. 112 of the delegates came out of congressional districts and the rest are considered delegates at large and are selected through an interview process at the State Convention. I
NILSSON: To sum it all up is difficult, but it was very exciting. There were a lot of political and news type celebrities. Most people don’t like to discuss politics to the extent that I do. I mean, I can do it all day long! So it is really fun to be with other political nerds. I got to know the people from the Texas Delegation, many of them very well. And it was just, for a political nerd, the center of the universe. It was also very exciting because it was busy, busy, busy.
GOODMAN: Did you learn any-
thing weird or shocking or interesting?
NILSSON: I thought the whole Ted Cruz speech, when he didn’t endorse [Donald Trump], and the way
NILSSON: I can’t narrow it to one thing. I had forgotten that I really enjoy talking to the media. So I was willing to give lots of interviews and had lots of opportunity to do that. That was particularly fun for me, talking to television and print media from all over the world and articulating republican ideas and the “Texas twist” on a lot of those ideas.
GOODMAN: With a Godly perspective, what do you think of the upcoming election?
NILSSON: Texas is unique, and I want to hold on to what is good here as best I can and be involved in that somehow. I truly believe that God is in control of who wins elections and who he raises up to the power. He has risen up evil for His purposes and He has risen up good for His purposes. I don’t really know what’s going on here, but I’m praying about it and trusting God.
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Noah Benson takes a break, eats a snack, and enjoys the view before resuming his hike to the summit of Machu Picchu in Peru.
NO ONE KNOWS
WHERE NOAH GOES BY IAN COMUZZIE
FORMER STUDENT AND GQ STAFFER NOAH BENSON AND HIS FAMILY SELL ALL TO TRAVEL ABROAD If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? How long would you stay? This is a simple question everyone encounters at some point in their lifetime, and most have a hard time deciding where they would want to visit. Some want to choose places they have already explored but also want to be adventurous and try something different. No matter what, if given the opportunity anyone would jump at the thought of making their travel dreams become a reality. One Geneva family in particular was able to make their dreams of traveling a reality – the Bensons. Duane, Rebekah, and their three sons Noah, Micah and Ezra made a shocking yet exciting change toward their future during the summer of 2015. They made the decision to leave the United States and travel to countries in Central America, South America, Africa and Asia, for a total travel time of 8 months to a year. But what kind of people make this decision? How could 54 BIG PICTURE // FEATURE
anyone just pickup and leave their home to travel and live in foreign countries? Why would anyone do this? “We were coming into a time in our life where we really felt like we were getting overwhelmed with normality. [We were] okay with existing and going through the day to day routine. All of this started to weigh on our family and on our spirits,” said Duane Benson. “But the overarching reason for going on this trip is to shake up our settled souls and our settled hearts. We needed a shake up.” The Bensons needed something different, something other than the everyday routine of school and work. They believed this trip would do that for them. Of course, the Bensons didn’t just go out on a whim and leave. It took a lot of time, thinking and praying to make this journey happen. “The idea of traveling came to me while I was at work actually,” Duane Benson said. “We had just gotten back from vacation last year, and it was the first
The Bensons enjoy a boat ride on the way to their new home in Nicaragua. Moments like this, allow the family to spend quality time together.
vacation where we had a lot of time together. It was about three weeks where we took this road trip back to California where we are from and visited places like Oregon, Montana and Colorado. This road trip gave us the opportunity to have real dialogue with one another. But it was funny because on the way back, I said in the car, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we could keep on traveling together?’ And everyone in the car agreed with a resounding, ‘Yeah!’” In the moment, it’s easy to go along with happy situations. But once the Bensons’ travel plans became more serious, practical doubts started getting in the way. Rebekah Benson was against the whole idea initially. “Duane kept mentioning little things to me about it, and I kept saying, ‘No, that’s not possible. It’s too expensive. It’s stupid, and it’s not what normal people are supposed to do,” she said. But to the joy of the rest of the family, Rebekah Benson finally agreed to make the trip happen. “One day, I just had this thought. What if we could do this with a purpose? What if we could do this for missionary reasons or show our kids other people and cultures? After that realization, little things started popping up in front of me. For instance, there was a sermon at church that was about a man selling everything he had to buy a field that had hidden treasure on it (Matthew 13:44), and the pastor later said to sell everything and get that treasure which was the kingdom of God.” So with the whole family now on board, the Bensons began selling everything to get their treasure. They started getting rid of most of the things that most people would never just go and sell, like their house, their cars and all the little things in between.
“WE WERE COMING INTO A TIME IN OUR LIFE WHERE WE REALLY FELT LIKE WE WERE GETTING OVERWHELMED WITH NORMALITY.” Micah Benson, 14, spends the day at the beach in Costa Rica getting acquainted with a friendly little crab. Some of the wildlife in these foreign countries is quite a sight to see.
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“It was awesome,” said Micah Benson, the middle brother. “It was absolutely freeing for all of us,” said Rebekah Benson. “Noah, Micah and Ezra were happy to have only the stuff they really wanted, which wasn’t too much, and it was freeing for Duane and I as well.” The new quest for the family wasn’t about how much to get rid of, but how little they could live off of and maintain a simpler life. “It really is freeing to discipline yourself to get rid of stuff that is not only taking up space in your house but also taking up space in your mind, in your budget and in your emotions,” said Duane Benson. Although the process of getting rid of excess possessions was freeing, the Bensons still had a hard time letting go of certain, more meaningful things. “For me, the hardest thing to get rid of was the yard and all the trees the kids had planted back there,” Rebekah Benson said. “Knowing that we won’t be able to get that back is hard for me to realize.” With all the selling and packing done with, emotions started to race through the entire family. Excitement was leading the way for everyone, but the Benson parents still held big fears in the backs of their minds. “We were all really excited for the adventure of it, but I did have a few fears going into the trip about safety and health,” Rebekah Benson said. “What happens if someone gets sick, or what if someone tries to kidnap the kids? But once we arrived, I’ve never been afraid of any of those things that I was concerned about. I’m actually more afraid to go home now.” “I still have some fears, because I have to come back for work every month or so to pay for the trip,” said Duane Benson. “I’m forced to leave my family in a somewhat dangerous third world country.” Duane Benson was back in the states when he got word that his son Micah had an appendicitis scare and that Noah had gotten in a fight with some locals. “It’s very taxing on me emotionally because I’m not there to be a presence for my family, he said. “But all this fear has brought to light the idea that my family is not mine; it is God’s. I had to step away and say that they are not mine to take care of. They may be mine to steward and provide for, but they are not my possession. They are God’s possession.” The Bensons have been on this trip for about 4 months now and have already visited places such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru. They still have much of their trip ahead of them, with plans to take on Chile, Argentina, Thailand, Indonesia, Fiji, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and New Zealand. Despite their extensive list of destinations, 56 BIG PICTURE // FEATURE
“WE STARTED GETTING INTO THE HABIT OF SAYING THE WORD YES ALL THE TIME. WE REALIZED THAT THIS COULD GET US INTO TROUBLE SOMETIMES, BUT WE DO IT BECAUSE IF WE LIVE, THEN WE HAVE A GREAT STORY TO TELL.” they still don’t want to limit themselves to just these places. “We really never know where we are going to end up, which created a rough outline for this trip,” Duane Benson said. “For example, we weren’t supposed to go to Panama or Nicaragua on our journey, but we went to both of those places because we started getting into the habit of saying the word yes all the time. We realized that this could get us into trouble sometimes, but we do it because if we live, then we have a great story to tell.”
“There is no average day for us,” Rebekah Benson said. “Everyday is wildly different. The only thing that remains the same every day is schooling for the boys and trying to serve the community where we are staying at the time. We try to help anyone we can while staying in their village.” The whole family has been taking part in serving the poverty stricken communities they encounter. They have been helping families and spending time with kids in order to better understand the world around them and lend a loving, hard-working hand. Besides helping the local people, they have also enjoyed the opportunity to go on family adventures. For Rebekah Benson, it was getting to know the people in the village in Nicaragua. “Just getting to know the community and falling in love with that little village has been my favorite moment.” However, the Benson boys focused on different aspects of their travels. “The coolest adventure so far has probably been the bioluminescent snorkeling that we did off the coast of Panama,” said Noah Benson, the oldest Benson brother and former Rhetoric School stu-
dent. “It was incredible because there was very little moonlight, and when we jumped in the water it became pitch black. So once we jumped in our goggles just lit up with bright blue almost star-like little plankton.” “It was seriously like jumping into space. The water was body temperature too, so we couldn’t tell the air from the water from our own skin. The night was so clear and the stars were so vibrant that it was like having stars above us and stars below us. The only word I can really use to describe it is other-worldly,” said Duane Benson. “I got to shake a sloth’s hand and have a Toucan sit on my head,” said the youngest brother Ezra Benson, recalling one of his favorite memories from their trips. No matter the adventure, each new experience alters the way the Benson family perceives life. Although they still have quite a bit of land to travel, all good things must come to an end. Duane Benson’s job as a firefighter will bring him back to the U.S. for good eventually. He was a pastor for many years and has been a firefighter and EMS responder for six and a 57
half years now, five in San Antonio. But unpredictability and adventure will continue to course through the Bensons’ veins long after their travels are done. “We love traveling and meeting new people, so we are not opposed to having God lead us into something new. For example, the blog that we started is called Before We Finish. We’re all going to die someday, so let’s engage in a life that is meaningful and restorative. Let’s not just take up space driving on a commute that we hate, in a car that we paid too much for, living this life of humdrum. Let’s be open to what God has for us and do something amazing with our life before we finish,” Duane Benson said.
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“We are here for a lot of things. But I think the most important thing that we are looking for is a change in character, a shift from just going through the motions to trusting in God and knowing that everything is going to be okay no matter what,” said Noah Benson, reflecting on embarking on fulfilling the idea of adventuring before his family’s earthly journey is done. The Bensons have whole heartedly put their faith in God to lead them along amazing adventures, benefiting both themselves and others. They are letting God take control of their lives and experiencing life in a whole new way before they finish.
“THE OVERARCHING REASON FOR GOING ON THIS TRIP IS TO SHAKE UP OUR SETTLED SOULS AND OUR SETTLED HEARTS.” 59
OUT OF THE BOX
PHOTO BY SKYLAR TIPPETTS
Kenny Kidd, Geneva’s student movie critic, writes about the controversial movie issue, “style-oversubstance.”
BY KENNY KIDD As I was in the theater for Clint Eastwood’s “Sully”, starring Tom Hanks as the titular pilot who miraculously landed an airliner in the Hudson River, I noticed something. I guess technically everyone notices a multitude of things when they watch a movie, but one scene in particular, and the film making behind it, really stuck with me: the actual scene of the crash. Not because it was nail-bitingly intense, memorably emotional, or even because it made you feel like you were in a horrifying real-life event, but because it was none of those things. I distinctly remember that a few seconds after the plane had land62 OUT OF THE BOX // OPINION
PHOTO BY IAN COMUZZIE
ed roughly in the water, I casually reached for some popcorn, not feeling emotionally invested or riveted by the scene at all. The rest of the movie was perfectly fine. The character study of the pilot was pretty interesting, as he deals with a lot of guilt, regret, and struggles internally over the consequences of his decision. Basically, all of the scenes that relied on writing and acting to tell the story and put you into the main character’s shoes worked perfectly fine. It was the one scene that required more intense, emotional direction and film making that took me out of the film completely, and was frustrating. So then I started to think about the phrase “style-over-substance”, which is used when people complain about a movie being light on story, character, and plot, and relying too much on the style of it: the cinematography, the editing, the sound, CGI, whatever it may be. And I started to think about how, in certain situations, it seems to work both ways. It’s not necessarily “substance-over-style”, but I feel like quite a few directors almost view style as a dirty word now, and convince themselves that they have to tell the story and put the audience into the mind of the characters in their film with just well-written dialogue and acting. In some cases, that does work. I got the chance to see the Marlon Brando classic “On the Waterfront” in theaters earlier this year, and it was quite an experience seeing a film that really does rely entirely on layered character development and interesting dialogue to tell a riveting story, and I loved it. The film’s visuals really just existed to show how the story unfolds, not to enhance it in any way, and it still did a great job of making you feel all the emotions you needed to, and making you think. But not every film should do that. If you’re going to tell a story of a harrowing plane crash, and show the crash, don’t solely rely on the script and capable actors to capture how traumatic and impactful that event would be. I’m no director, but simple, still shots of people sitting in chairs as the plane descends towards a river, even with the best actors, is not enough to make you feel as horrified and panicked as a scene like that should make you feel. Maybe if it had faster editing, sudden, fast zooms through the aisle of the plane, or even that “Interstellar”-style shot where the camera is mounted on the wing of the plane as it descends quickly to the ground, you would feel the needed sense of panic for that scene. If you’re going to only use the camera as a framing for showing dialogue, and events occurring, then why shouldn’t the film just be a book? In my opinion, a great director would be someone who knows how to use style to enhance the substance greatly and really make you feel and think what you’re supposed to, through the combination of the two; someone who knows how to combine writing and acting with the other elements of a film. Camera angles, shot composition, music, zooms, pans, colors, lighting, editing, all of these are just as important as what’s be
A GREAT DIRECTOR WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO USE STYLE TO ENHANCE THE SUBSTANCE GREATLY AND REALLY MAKE YOU FEEL AND THINK WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO. ing said and who’s saying it when you’re experiencing the emotions of a film. Martin Scorsese is an incredible director for this. His films, which usually revolve around the greed and corruption of some incredibly successful criminal, have such palpable energy and are so mind-blowingly fast-paced that a three-hour Scorsese film feels shorter than a 96 minute Clint Eastwood film. But it’s not JUST to exercise style. If a movie revolves around someone with a dangerous, illegal, agenda who lives an unfathomably adrenaline-fueled life filled with drugs, money, and other such shenanigans, the proper way to put you into the conflicted mindset of its main character and experience the story through their eyes, would be to hyper-stylize it and to make you feel like you’re living the life of that person. Yes, there are directors who rely so much on style that they forget the meat of their story, and their movies end up looking pretty, but not really doing anything emotional or otherwise for the audience, such as some of Zack Snyder’s work or quite a few others—mainly Blockbuster directors—but for all of those there’s an Edgar Wright, a Terrence Malick, a David Lynch, or a Wes Anderson. A director who truly understands style can make you feel and think things you never thought possible from watching images on a screen. Using style properly is exponentially more important in evoking emotions and giving the viewer a worthwhile, memorable experience. Experiencing a film where the director understands this can give you some of the richest emotions and most profound thoughts you will ever have in your lifetime. The point is, the next time you hear something dismissed as “style-over-substance,” really think about it. Does the style enhance the substance? Does the film make you feel, or think? Will the memory of the movie give you an irreplaceable emotion? Is it something you would call an experience? And would that have changed if the camera was just observing the events and the dialogue that was taking place? 63
YOU’LL CIG-REGRETTE IT PAID FOR BY THE ROYAL BROWN ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN PHOTOSHOP BY RUTH WACKER
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HALLOWEEN WAS NEVER MEANT TO SUMMON DEMONS.
BY SKYLAR TIPPETTS 65
IS IT A TRICK OR A TREAT? CHRISTIANITY AND HALLOWEEN ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. GRAPHIC BY ANNA RIEDLINGER
Children swarm the streets, stuffing their joyfully frightened faces with “fun sized” chocolate bars and candy corn. Every culde-sac in the suburbs looks like a storybook filled with fairy tales and myths exploded in an incarnation of costumes and characters. On Halloween night, almost every porch light is turned on. Every year, however, an occasional house remains dark even in the midst of such festivities. The darkened windows could be a sign that the people living there are out of town or out of candy. There might be an old couple who shut off their lights in the hopes 66 OUT OF THE BOX // OPINION
of keeping the same crazy kids off their lawn who annually ring their doorbell on repeat, despite their intentional lack of electricity. Still other homeowners leave their houses dim to add to the spooky ambiance of Halloween, and intend the darkness to be an invitation to any enthusiastic little pumpkin heads who dare ask for something good to eat. With all conspiracy theories aside, some families just do not celebrate Halloween. There is a plethora of reasons why some families might choose to abstain from Halloween festivities. They could have unfortunate allergies that result in chronic
gluten intolerance. Maybe families dismiss the holiday because they share a strong sense of willpower when it comes to intentionally avoiding the consumption of sugar. Parents might be paranoid and want to assure their children will steer clear of all the actual creepers who lurk around on Halloween blending in with all the fake creepers. Or maybe they just treat Halloween with the same lack of appreciation as most people treat National Sock Day. Although some of these concerns are legitimate, one popular reason people don’t celebrate Halloween is because they think it’s ” of the devil.”
Because of the common misconception that Halloween is heretical, it is one of the most misunderstood holidays among Christians. Fascinatingly, Halloween began as a way to precede the religious holiday known as All Saints Day. All Saints Day is a celebration Pope Gregory III started to honor all saints and martyrs of the Catholic church. In recognition of the deceased, people would celebrate with traditions of the ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain, which involved wearing costumes to ward off evil spirits. The night before the festivities was known as Hallows Eve and
since then has been recognized as Halloween. What started out as a religious holiday is now commonly interpreted by many as the exact opposite. Initially, Halloween was never meant to summon demons. Instead, its origin pertains more to the remembrance of important church figures and celebrates the wellbeing of people on earth. All that to say, simply going from door to door dressed up as a pirate on Halloween is not in and of itself an act of satanic worship. How trick-or-treaters choose to garb themselves may reflect their intentions or values because like any other holiday, the innocence
of Halloween can be warped. Why do you think there are so many holiday movies that have to explicitly spell out the “true meaning of Christmas?� Hopefully, society can recognize that praying to Lucifer just because Halloween gives off spooky vibes is demented, just like taking after Ebenezer Scrooge is wrong. If parents are concerned about their child getting involved in witchcraft or attempting to communicate with evil dead, and that is their reason for banning trick-or-treating, they may have bigger problems than costumes and candy. 67
PRESS
Need some inspiration while you’re working on homework? Press Play on one of the Geneva Quarterly’s homework playlists, compiled by a staffer and a teacher.
THE WAY I DO JIGSAW PUZZLE HYMNALS TOO MUCH ELECTRIC INDIGO SON MY SON YOU’RE STILL A MYSTERY OPERATOR (HE DOESN’T CALL ME) AMERICAN MONEY WORK IT OUT BE HERE LONG RAINY GIRL DREAMER REMINDER LONG TIME COMING OH, IT IS LOVE MAY THE LIGHT BE YOUR MAN Bishop Briggs of Montreal
Grizfolk
PLAY
Magic Man
The Paper Kites
Milo Greene
Bleachers Låpsley
BØRNS
MR. STEVEN TYE
HOW BOTH HANDS DEATH WITH DIGNITY BRITTLE BONED SATELLITE LOVE BLOOD SO NOW WHAT SETTLED DOWN ADULT CONTEMPT FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE SKINNY LOVE FIRE SCENE CHOOSE THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU MORE BREATH IN (FEAT. WAFIA) THE GHOSTS OF BEVERLY DRIVE
Knox Hamilton
Daughter
David Bazan
NEEDTOBREATHE
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
Sufjan Stevens
The Head and the Heart
Julien Baker
Mumford & Sons
Maritime
One Night Only
The Middle East
Hellogoodbye
The Shins
Longfellow
Owen
Ivan & Alyosha
ARIANNA FLORES
Into it. Over it. The Cure
Bon Iver
S. Carey
Copeland
Japanese Wallpaper Death Cab for Cutie
68 OUT OF THE BOX
Follow @GenevaQuarterly on Spotify to listen to more GSB playlists and keep up with song additions.
THE FIRST QUARTER
Written by guest contributor senior Coggin Galbreath, the Geneva Quarterly introduces its first ever continuous short story. This story will unfold over four installments, one in each issue.
THE PINKINGTON PRESS Pinkington: “We’re all nuts here.”
PINKINGTON BROS. SHELL OUT FOR SHELLING MACHINE Sources confirm that Peter & Patrick Pinkington recently placed an order for a brand new, top-of-the-line LegumeLoom2000, estimated to increase productivity at P&P Pinkington Peanut Factory by 40%. With newer, more compact machinery comes more efficiency— and more space. The P&P Board of Directors, however, can’t seem to agree on what to do with the soon-to-be-empty east wing of the factory. “We need more storage,” says Norma Diggs, vice-chair. “The smooth peanut butter may
ARTWORK BY COGGIN GALBREATH
be flying off the shelves, but the demand for chunky just isn’t there, and we’ve got more jars than we know what to do with.” Harold Lemons, aged 81, however, has other ideas. “This town was built on the pealegume industry,” said Lemons in an interview with a PinkPress representative, “and now we’ve got people thinking they’re nuts? It’s shameful. This is about education. It’s about nuts, and it’s especially about legumes, and it’s about remembering the old ways. Better ill-taught than untaught, I always say. It’ll take
time, but we’ve got to make it a priority. The early birds flock together, you know. That’s why we need to make the east wing a commemorative educational facility.” That’s right: Harold Lemons is putting plans for a peanut (or rather, pealegume) museum before the directors. Will Pinkington be receiving its first ever museum? What exactly will a museum of the peanut industry entail? Keep an eye on the PinkPress headlines for further developments.
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SOMEONE VISITS PINKINGTON! That’s right, ladies and gents, a stranger has come to Pinkington, and the local economy is in a whirl as business owners speculate as to where he will spend his money. The stranger, one Isaac Middleton, “stumbled across Pinkington” when he got lost and his car broke down on the way to Philadelphia. Special correspondent Mindy Phipps received an exclusive interview with Mr. Middleton at the Shelling Street Pharmacy soda counter, printed here for the first time, for PinkPress readers only: PHIP: How did you first hear about Pinkington? MIDD: I didn’t. No one ever has. Is this place even on maps? PHIP: Fascinating. So now that you’ve visited, will you be sending your friends and family this way as tourists? MIDD: Are you kidding? I wouldn’t wish this place on anyone. Unless they like flat land, isolation, and the smell of burnt peanuts, in which case they probably already live here. PHIP: Excellent observation. Tell us Mr. Middleton, how long do you plan to stay? MIDD: If my car isn’t fixed by tomorrow, I’m walking to Pennsylvania. Unless I crashed my car, and this is hell. Which is possible. So there you have it, folks! Be sure to stop by and introduce yourself to the stranger while he’s in town, and bring your kids to show them what an unfamiliar face looks like.
MR. NUTTER GONE NUTS? THE LASTEST ON PINKINGTON’S BELOVED LEGUME Last Wednesday officers detained Gordon Hewitt, the man who has for the last fifty-seven years been the body behind the lovable Mr. Nutter, the anthropomorphic peanut who has stood for Pinkington’s industry and ideals since he was first illustrated in 1962. Mr. Hewitt was arrested for attempted robbery after trying to elope with the the very peanut suit he has been wearing at city events for so many years. With 70
the Peanut Brittle Bash only a week away, City Hall is in a panic. Sources close to the mayor confirm that the “Mr. Nutter crisis” has been moved to the #1 slot on the city agenda. In a brief press release last night, council member Mimi Lemons confirmed that Mr. Hewitt has been indefinitely suspended from his role—but will Mr. Nutter be suspended as well? Concerned citizens have staged protests, calling for justice with signs bearing drawings of the beloved mascot and slogans like WE’RE NOTHING WITHOUT NUTTER and BRING US OUR BEAN, but it is impossible to confirm as of yet whether or not Mr. Nutter will even be in attendance at this year’s Brittle Bash. Unless Mayor Munchum can line up a replacement willing to spend eleven hours in a dark, sweaty peanut suit, the outlook is bleak.
PRINCESS PINKINGTON
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS:
Carmelita Fairfax has been named Pinkington Princess, and will go on next month to compete in the Miss Ohioan Farmer pageant in Columbus. “We’re very proud of our little girl,” commented Lucille Bunting Fairfax. “There’s just no higher honor. Imagine if you had been Miss Ohioan Farmer at age eight? Who knows where you’d be today! With an accomplishment like this under her belt, Carmelita can go anywhere. She can be anything. Ohio will be her oyster. This is truly an opportunity unlike any other.” Lucille Bunting married into the Fairfax Farming Equipment empire ten years ago. Since then, she and her husband have been raising their daughter at their Pinkington farmhouse, bringing her up for the world of rural pageantry. “Everybody loves me,” said Carmelita. “I’m a princess, so if they don’t love me I’ll just tell daddy to chop off their heads.” For the runway portion of the contest, Miss Fairfax wore a dress made of silk spun from recycled peanut shells, and Carmelita herself attributes her flawless complexion to months of “Pinkington Facials” (see recipe in the contributors section). For her talent, Carmelita sang the P&P Peanut Products jingle, accompanied by her father on the piccolo.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES with PHYLLIS
Hey y’all! It’s Phyllis, comin’atcha with your weekly conspiracy theory. Did you know there’s no such thing as a peanut? It’s true. The government invented peanuts to get rid of extra corn. See, the government subsidizes corn farmers to pay for their extraterrestrial exploration— but that’s next week. The point is that we have so much CORN in this country! So the feds started slipping it in our food, feeding it to our animals, building our homes with it, and when that was enough they invented a corn paste called “peanut butter” and marketed it as a condiment. Soon after followed the “peanut,” a corn-based solid packed in a wooden shell. So how did Pinkington, a town built entirely on the peanut, come to exist? Easy: the feds founded it in 1682, and it’s been distributing their products ever since.
HEY! GOOD IDEA, MARTHA!
I’m Martha, and my idea this week is for bread that comes already sliced in the bag. Think of the time saved! Each slice would be even, easily detachable from the loaf, and ready for use in your favorite sandwich. My favorite sandwich is peanut butter and jelly. What’s yours? Do you have a great idea you’ve been wanting to share with the world? Let me know at www.goodideamartha.com!
THE “PINKINGTON FACIAL” Carmelita Fairfax shares her secret
The Pinkington Facial was a marketing tactic for the Pinkington Bros. At the time it was considered a colossal flop, and the entire marketing team was fired for the disaster. After Carmelita’s recent win, however, there has been renewed interest, so we publish it here for the curious reader. The below recipe was printed on every P&P peanut butter jar from 1971-1973:
Pinkington Facials:
Combine the following ingredients— * 1 jar P&P Pinkington Peanuts extra-smooth peanut butter * 2 tbsp. peanut shells, roasted and crushed * 1 tbsp. honey * pinch of salt * 1 1/2 tsp. boiling vinegar * 1 healthy plop sour cream Spread mixture on your face with a slice of white bread. Let dry. Peel off. Eat if desired. 71
THE TALON
/ GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//GRA
/ GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//GRA
When Rhetoric School only had 19 students (the class of 2011), Mr. Shelton oversaw both Logic and Rhetoric. Classes were held in the current fifth grade campus with a population of less than 100 students for both schools. Friday was special then not just for the last day of the school week but for the issuing of “The Talon.” Printed on colored paper and posted outside the door of the Bald Eagle’s office, this satirical look at the life of a Geneva student was one of the highlights of the forming Rhetoric identity. As the school grew, there were less and less issues. Old issues were carefully placed in keepsake boxes or squirreled away in blazer jackets. The Geneva Quarterly incorporated “The Talon” as part of the magazine in 2013 to make sure it never went away. This year, we are giving a new look to the popular writings. Enjoy, and don’t take it for granted. 72 OUT OF THE BOX // OPINION
FALL ISSUE 2016
Given that our culture has now thrown all obvious personal identifiers out the window in favor of what each individual thinks he/she/it/zie/zhe/ zing/zoom/oink/ping is, Geneva has chosen to radically embrace identity political correctness. Here are some examples:
RESTROOMS:
Geneva has gotten rid of restrooms altogether. Geneva students can now identify any location as a restroom, no matter what it looks like or what its designated purpose. Who needs designations?
CURRICULUM:
ANY ROOM
GRAPHIC BY RUTH WACKER
THE HISTORY OF “THE TALON”
Geneva leads the country in allowing students to choose their own schedule on any particular day, depending on how smart or lazy they self-identify that day. Of course, teachers can also identify what subject they wish to teach at any given period, making for a true kaleidoscope of self-identity pooled ignorance…um, celebration.
OOMS//GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//
GENEVA LEADS NATION IN IDENTITY POLICIES BY MR. ROB SHELTON
OOMS//GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//GRADE LEVEL//CURRICULUM//ACADEMICS//ATHLETICS RESTROOMS//
ACADEMICS:
Geneva students are no longer locked into what they actually earn. Students identify with what grade they self-identify. Coggin Galbreath remarks, “I have felt so trapped inside my excellent grades. Though I still excel academically, it is freeing to identify as a 1.8 GPAer. That’s simply who I am.”
Geneva students are able to identify as any grade they wish. How precious it is to see John Michael with his fellow second graders. “I identify as a second grader; plus, they are all so small it is easy for me to take their lunch money,” says John Michael.
ATHLETICS:
Who can forget Kendall Taha’s bold declaration that she self-identified as a varsity football defensive lineman? Who were we to tell her otherwise? Details on her memorial service will be released shortly.
GRAPHIC BY ANSON EGGERSS
GRADE LEVEL:
Geneva has also embraced the liberal college student-coddling policies of providing “trigger warnings” in advance of any material that some student might deem offensive or distressing and allowing students to take advantage of “safe spaces” should such warnings not be sufficient. Just to be sure, Mr. Shelton now begins each day with a blanket trigger warning: “The world is not fair and things are sometimes hard and not everyone is always going to agree with you or even like you,” after which all of the students retire to the designated safe space (which, of course, smells of human waste because there are no designations, remember?). 73
#HOCOMMXVI
“Friday night lights” takes on a new meaning during homecoming week when the hoco dance lights up in Comfort. The pep rally, the court and the game all add to a great event for our Geneva graduates to come back and visit. The football team crushed St. Gerard, making it a year to remember.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SMUGMUG 74 OUT OF THE BOX
ACCORDING TO 2016 BALFOUR COMMUNICATIONS AND JOURNALISM WORKSHOP,
BEST STAFF AWARD GOES TO: EXECUTIVES EDITORIAL CHIEF EDITOR OF MANAGEMENT: JESSICA WHEELER CHIEF EDITOR OF CONTENT: ARIANNA FLORES CHIEF EDITOR OF DESIGN: SKYLAR TIPPETTS CHIEF EDITOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: IAN COMUZZIE
EDITORS INDESIGN
PHOTOSHOP EDITOR: RUTH WACKER INDESIGN EDITOR: CARRISSA GEORGELOS EDITORIAL EDITOR: EMME OWENS
AISLING AYERS LAUREN JARVIS CAROL METZGER CHARLOTTE WALKER
INDESIGN CREDITS:
AISLING AYERS 10-13, 42-43, 62-63 KATELYN DAVIS 45-47 ARIANNA FLORES 36-38, 68 CARISSA GEORGELOS 14-15, 31, 54-59 JAYNE GOODMAN 44 LAUREN JARVIS 28-30, 39 JACQUELINE KNOX 18-19, 24-27, 74 CAROL METZGER 52-53 EMME OWENS 32-33 ANNA RIEDLINGER 34-35 SKYLAR TIPPETTS 1-7, 22-23, 40-41, 60-61, 65-67, 72-73, 75-76 RUTH WACKER 20-21, 64 CHARLOTTE WALKER 8-9, 16-17 JESSICA WHEELER 48-51, 69-71
JAYNE GOODMAN MATTHEW SCHRODER NATHAN YOUNG NATHAN ZUNIGA DANIEL GROVER
PHOTOSHOP PHOTOGRAPHY ANSON EGGERSS ANNA RIEDLINGER SARA BETH STOLLE
LUKE BOWER KATELYN DAVIS BRADEN HALL JACQUELINE KNOX
ADVISORS
BECKY RYDEN (OCCASIONALLY) CHAD SWANSON COLOPHON: All verbal and visual content is solicited and selected by the Quarterly Staff of the Geneva School of Boerne. Approval is garnered from advisor and headmaster. All bylined writers are held accountable for their work. MAGAZINE SPECIFICATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: Created in InDesign and printed by SchoolPrinting.com. Font families: Rama Gothic Standard Condensed Semi-Bold, Roboto Slab, Roboto Bold
VOL. 4 ISS. 1
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